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GOP POLL: VOTERS WANT HARD LINE ON IMMIGRATION: “A conservative pollster finds likely 2014 voters receptive to populist, hardline messaging on immigration and the border crisis — validation for Republican candidates who have seized on the issue,” POLITICO’s James Hohmann reports. “Kellyanne Conway, president and CEO of the polling company, inc./WomanTrend, writes in a memo for allies, shared first with POLITICO, that 39 percent of likely voters in a recent poll named immigration as one of their top three issues.”

“‘Out of sight, out of mind is over,’ Conway writes.”

But that stance by voters could mean trouble for agricultural groups trying to ensure access to workforces that are often made up of immigrants. The full story is available here: http://politico.pro/1rX4jZ5

GOOD MORN … DOH! Welcome to Morning Ag where the general consensus is that it’s a good thing that FX’s The Simpsons marathon that starts tomorrow is taking place while Congress is in recess. Brush up on food-themed episodes and make friends with salad here: http://bit.ly/1tm6kPs You know the deal: thoughts, news, tips, donuts or Tomacco? Send them to jhopkinson@politico.com or @jennyhops. Follow us @Morning_Ag.

BEGICH TO FACE SULLIVAN IN GENERAL ELECTION: Sen. Mark Begich will have to defend his seat from Alaska’s former state attorney general and natural resources commissioner, Dan Sullivan, in November’s general election following Sullivan’s victory last night in the Republican primary. Sullivan garnered 40 percent of the vote, while his GOP challengers, tea party-favorite Joe Miller and Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell, took home 32 percent and 25 percent, respectively. Begich won Democratic nomination with 96.9 percent of the vote. Republicans are hoping to take back the seat in the conservative-leaning state. If Begich loses in November, it could put in question the renewal of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, which governs the regulation of federal fisheries. Begich has floated a draft reauthorization bill and is seeking comment from fishing groups before potentially introducing it this fall. Brush up on the fight over MSA reauthorization here: http://politico.pro/1sSPyux

EPA ADVISORS TO REVIEW WOTUS SCIENCE: An EPA Science Advisory Board panel is set to meet today to weigh in on the agency’s water connectivity report that serves as the science behind the proposed waters of the U.S. rule. The EPA has come under fire from the American Farm Bureau Federation and other groups for releasing the rule without first finalizing the report, which means the comments and recommendations made by the panel will draw a lot of scrutiny. Details of the webinar, which starts at 9 a.m., and preliminary comments from panel members are available here: http://1.usa.gov/1w6md1L

EVERYBODY HATES WOTUS? Groups that fall into the haters camp are getting media savvy about it. MA has covered the Farm Bureau’s #DITCHTHERULE social media efforts and videos, and now it seems the National Association of Counties is on a path toward a similar web presence. The group has released its own video laying out why jurisdictions oppose the waters of the U.S. rule, and even presented a series of tweets that its members can use to raise the issue on social media. See its Web page here: http://bit.ly/1teGqyN

USDA CONSIDERS HONEY STANDARD: The Agriculture Department is looking for input on whether to introduce a federal honey standard and what it might include. In a Federal Register notice today, USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service says it is seeking comment on a proposal from the American Beekeeping Federation to put U.S. standards for honey largely in line with those set by the international Codex Alimentarius Commission. The proposed standard would define honey as “the natural sweet substance produced by honey bees from the nectar of plants … which the bees collect, transform by combining with specific substances of their own, deposit, dehydrate, store and leave in the honeycomb to ripen and mature.”

USDA will accept comments on the proposal until Sept. 19 and specifically wants input on “how an appropriate Federal standard for the identity of honey would be in the interest of consumers, the honey industry, and United States agriculture.” The notice is available here: http://1.usa.gov/1pbhcAg

D.C. TO GET ‘BEE HOTEL’: Speaking of honey, the Fairmont Washington D.C. in Georgetown is adding an extension to its roof — a “pollinator bee hotel” made up of nesting materials to attract and support pollinators, which will add to the buzz over its honeybee hives when it is added this spring. In the meantime, the hotel will be displaying a “Pop-Up” Pollinator Bee Hotel in the lobby and serving a pollinator-themed menu at its Juniper Restaurant. A portion of the proceeds from the menu and the hotel’s signature cocktail, the BeeTini, will support the District of Columbia Public Schools’ Junior Beekeepers initiative through the end of October. By spring, about 10 public schools in D.C. will have their own beehives, according to the hotel. http://bit.ly/1ySgj0z

W.H. MEETS WITH EXECUTIVES ON IMMIGRATION: From POLITICO’s Anna Palmer and Carrie Budoff Brown: “Senior White House officials are in talks with business leaders that could expand the executive actions President Barack Obama takes on immigration. Obama was initially expected to focus only on slowing deportations of potentially millions of undocumented immigrants and altering federal enforcement policies. Now top aides are talking with leaders in big companies like Cisco, Intel and Accenture, hoping to add more changes that would get them on board. Representatives for high-tech, agriculture and construction interests have put forward a range of fixes, from recapturing unused green cards to tweaking existing work authorization programs. “The story is available here: http://politi.co/1qmFfIR

USDA FIGHTS ALGAE WITH CONSERVATION: The USDA is sending $2 million to Ohio to help combat farm runoff that is causing algal blooms in Lake Erie that threaten Toledo’s water supply, Secretary Tom Vilsack announced yesterday. But environmentalists say there is more to do. In a statement, Suzy Friedman, director of agricultural sustainability at the Environmental Defense Fund argued that avoiding toxic algae blooms “will require longer term solutions with a strategically coordinated approach. In addition to helping address challenges in Lake Erie, USDA investment in highly effective conservation practices will help position farmers to meet the growing demand from food companies and retailers for sustainable products. By combining federal investment with the supply chain demand, we can reach a scale of adoption that will make crises like the one in Toledo a thing of the past.” More from EDF on the situation in Toledo here: http://bit.ly/1pbrCzY USDA’s announcement is available here: http://1.usa.gov/1oaNy9f

INDUSTRY GROUPS LEERY OF NEW RECORDKEEPING RULE: The National Grocers Association, American Meat Institute and North American Meat Association have asked the USDA for an extension to the comment period for a proposed rule that would require businesses that grind beef to keep records on where beef is sourced. The groups say the rule could impact grocery stores around the country. Pros will remember that industry groups voiced support for the rule back in July: http://politico.pro/1oNziIB

"Even a cursory review of the Agency’s economic analysis reveals that FSIS has significantly underestimated the costs the proposed rule would impose," the groups wrote in an Aug. 19 letter to the USDA: http://bit.ly/1w6yUd3?

QUORN PUSHES BACK AGAINST CSPI: Quorn Foods is pushing back against the Center for Food Safety’s recent comments on the safety of its products. In a statement to MA, the company says that its products have “always been made from a natural, GMO free protein ingredient called mycoprotein. Mycoprotein is NOT an additive. It is a food and member of the fungi family, similar to truffles and morels, and is harvested and fermented in a similar way to beer or yogurt. … Quorn products have been tested in numerous medical studies, and through decades of testing and statistics, all have proven that Quorn products are safe and much less likely to cause a reaction than soy, nuts or dairy.”

MA’s INSTANT OATS

-- Wood plants and shrubs are taking over grasslands, according to Arizona State University researchers, and it could impact meat production, Feedstuffs reports: http://bit.ly/1uTmnrR

-- Foods labeled as “all natural” are decreasing in popularity due to lawsuits and other challenges, Food Navigator reports: http://bit.ly/1lfQVB7